


Caged In

by Cynonyms



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 18:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11675070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cynonyms/pseuds/Cynonyms
Summary: Luhan finds Time lying in a dirty alley one summer night. A beautiful looking man with slanted eyes that held golden orbs, soft cheeks that flushed pink with pain... and the wings.Large wings lay beside the man; soft glowing feathers marred with scratches and burrs, darkened by the dust that he lay in and bent at odd angles. A golden liquid seeped out of his wings, softening the edges that were once smooth and whole.The man looked up directing his golden gaze at Luhan and time seemed to stop."Let me help you-"





	Caged In

 

_They say that time flies~_

 

_Unless you've broken its wings_

 

* * *

 

 

Xiumin rarely sleeps anymore.

Sleeping meant useless rest that his body didn't need and 8 hours gone to waste. 

Sleeping meant feeling vulnerable and feeling the precious minutes tick through his veins, warning him that his time was near. 

Instead, he spent the nights staring at his savior, the blonde haired, doe eyed boy who slept beside him. His angel; wasn't it funny how Xiumin was the one with the wings?

"You need to sleep," the blonde boy had insisted at first, "or I'll stay awake with you." 

Xiumin had laughed quietly as Luhan dozed off around one in the morning, blonde hair flopping into his closed eyes, short puffs of breath meeting Xiumin's cheek. Staring at Luhan's face and memorizing every crease, every wrinkle, was far more productive than closing his eyes to greet nightmares.

And so he didn't sleep, preferring to spend the nights running his fingers along the creases lining Luhan's eyes, trying desperately to hold onto something that was seeping through his fingertips. 

All he needed was a little time, and that he supposed, was life's cruelest irony.

 

* * *

 

Luhan hadn't changed much in the last 5 years. Small wrinkles had started appearing last year, framing Luhan's large eyes with small lines. His toned belly was becoming soft with age and the soft blonde hair had traces of gray. 

But so many things stayed the same. His wide grin that appeared whenever Xiumin was around, the way his hands clung onto Xiumin no matter where they were. He seemed to take great pleasure in watching Xiumin squirm. He still slept with his mouth open, arms wrapped tightly around Xiumin, careful not to crush his wings, fingers gentle in their embrace as if he was still afraid Xiumin would leave during the night. 

The wrinkles that had lined Xiumin's face disappeared only to appear on Luhan's cheeks.  The white in his hair dissipated leaving silky brown strands, soft to the touch. 

In short, while Luhan was growing older and older,  _time_  himself was growing younger and younger.

 

* * *

 

"Your white hairs are gone." Xiumin looks up to find Luhan staring at him critically as he kneads the dough between his hands. 

"Yeah. They are." He turns back towards the dough, punching the air out of the mixture.

"Why?" Luhan's brows furrow he steps closer to examine Xiumin's hair. His touch is soft as he sifts through the strands, searching."Three years with me and you're growing younger? I must be doing wonders for you," he jokes but his face remains puzzled. 

Xiumin relaxes his features into a small smile as Luhan's arms find their way around him, chin tucking itself onto Xiumin's shoulder. "Age works differently for  _time_ ," he responds simply as a way of answering. 

He can feel Luhan tensing up on his shoulder before relaxing again, voice deceptively light as he asks, "So you grow younger... and then what happens when you're a baby again?" His voice is teasing as he asks, "D'you reincarnate like a phoenix?"

Xiumin lets himself chuckle but he doesn't answer and this time Luhan tenses and stays tense. His grip hardens around Xiumin's shoulder and his voice is shaky when he bites out, "you don't die, do you, old man?" 

Xiumin schools his features into something pleasant before looking up to find Luhan's face staring at him. Luhan's eyebrows are furrowed more than usual and there's the slightest trace of something sad lingering in his eyes. 

"I'm not sure," he finally answers. "Maybe."

"You die," Luhan mutters flatly. "When?"

"10 years." Xiumin can't help but grin at Luhan's appalled face. "Time is different for me, " he reminds the blonde male before forcing his attention back to the dough, beating it back down. One of the few things he can help control. "Don't worry. I've been planning my whole life for this." 

"That doesn't make it better," Luhan gripes and Xiumin relaxes hearing the other man's voice go back to normal. He merely shrugs and that's the end of the conversation. 

 

* * *

 

"Who gets to be the next  _time_?" Luhan asks sleepily as they curl up under the covers.

Xiumin thinks for a bit before shrugging his shoulders and Luhan nods quietly. Its not long before Luhan is asleep, head lolling on Xiumin's shoulder while his arms are wrapped around  _time,_ as if the weight of his arms could keep Xiumin there. 

Xiumin estimates that he has 5 more years left as his body has shrunk down to that of a 20 year old. They get stares when they walk down the street together, with Luhan edging near his mid thirties and Xiumin looking like a college student but Luhan doesn't mind and Xiumin can't bother to worry about that much. 

"You should make a bucket list," the now older male had announced proudly that morning, a large stack of paper in his hand, but Xiumin had shaken his head. 

"I'd rather just spend the last few years of my life with you," he deadpans. "Doing normal things and not jumping off cliffs." Luhan huffed and walked away without a complaint but seeing all those empty sheets of paper made Xiumin itch to write something. Do something. Leave something behind.

That night as Luhan snores gently, Xiumin pries the blonde man's fingers away from him and pulls a chair over to the unused desk sitting at the corner of their room. He carefully moves a few of Luhan's sweaters to the clothes bin and shuffles to the kitchen. He finds the stack of computer paper and brings it back to the desk; he finds a pen in the topmost drawer and holds it carefully. It had been a while since he'd written anything and the writing utensil feels awkward in his fingers.  

Thinking back to all those cliched Korean dramas that Luhan enjoyed watching, Xiumin's face lights up. 

 

* * *

 

_Dear Luhan,_

_If you're reading this I'm probably ~~dead~~  gone. Don't miss me too much. I don't actually know what I want to write to you yet, but I suppose I have some time to figure it out. I think I'll try this again tomorrow._

_Sincerely,  
Xiumin_

 

* * *

 

"Who are you?"

Xiumin winced as the car jolted and his wing clashed against the seat of the car. "Xiumin," he answered, watching the blonde man's eyebrows furrow up. 

"Why do you have wings Xiumin?" The blonde man's voice was soft and almost melodic, but Xiumin still felt as if he was about to black out. The pain was too much, the ache spreading from the tips of his wings to his back.

"I don't know," he managed to grit out. "Who are you. And where are you taking me?"

"Luhan," the man answered as he shot Xiumin a worried smile. "And I'm taking you home because I have a feeling you might not want to go to the doctors."

Xiumin nodded weakly. "Thank you." The car jolted again as Luhan drove over a bump in the road and Xiumin hissed in pain, feeling the stickiness of blood sliding down his feathers and spreading onto his back. "Thank you," he repeated, gritting his teeth as his whole body shook with pain.

Luhan shook his head, taking his eyes off the road for an instant to meet Xiumin's. "Don't thank me yet. Thank me when you get better."

"Okay," Xiumin managed to nod, right before everything went black, "I will."

 

* * *

 

_Dear Luhan,_

_Remember when we first met? I never properly thanked you for saving my life, so I guess I'll do it now. Thank you, so very much. You always said it was fate that we met but I'd like to say now that fate is a douchebag. Byun Baekhyun had absolutely nothing to do with our meeting at all. I like to think that we were just meant to be, yeah?_

_You were always so lovely, I thought I had encountered an angel that first night. Your hair was a halo around your head, and I remember feeling so sorry that I was bloodying you. You know me and how much I hate to be a sap, but I guess there's a time and place for everything. Luhan, you are genuinely a wonderful human being. You are so incredibly selfless that it makes me angry sometimes; I want you to take better care of yourself when I'm gone okay? It's okay to care about others but don't forget to love yourself too sometimes, when I'm not there to remind you._

_You risked everything to save me when I was in need (even though I could just as well have been a serial killer or a psychopath on the loose) and you loved me despite all my flaws and my shortcomings._

_Sincerely,  
Xiumin_

 

* * *

 

"Where are you taking me," Xiumin whines as Luhan drags him off the sofa and into the bedroom. Luhan scowls at him before pushing him into the room. 

"The younger you get, the whinier you are," Luhan pouted. "Chanyeol is hosting a party tonight. He says he "crashed" into fate and he wants to celebrate tonight." Luhan makes a face.

"He crashed into  _fate_ ," Xiumin echoes in confusion. Luhan shrugs as he begins pulling an assortment of clothing out of their closet. 

"Hell if I know. But he invited us, so come on get dressed."

"I look 18," Xiumin deadpans before spinning around and getting ready to walk out of the room again. He's stopped when an arm wraps itself around his waist, spinning him back around to face Luhan. He gulps quietly, feeling his mouth go dry.

Luhan has a smirk on his face as his fingers dance across Xiumin's collarbones and back down his back. "What do you want," Xiumin demands, but his voice is weak as Luhan's knee somehow appears between his thighs. He can feel his knees go weak.

"Since you look 18, lets act like hormonal 18 year olds," Luhan suggests slyly before pulling Xiumin into a kiss.

The kiss is bruising, Luhan's tongue swiping out at the seam of Xiumin's own lips and his mouth opens in a gasp. Luhan's hands are playful, one hand reaching up Xiumin's shirt to play with his nipple while the other hand moves up to steady Xiumin's face, deepening the kiss. 

Hormones must be catching up to Xiumin too because he's hard already and Luhan hasn't actually touched him yet. His face is burning as Luhan pulls away from the kiss to see the erection that's poking him in the leg and Xiumin flushes even further when Luhan bursts into soft chuckles. 

"Stop laughing," he scowls, tugging Luhan's face back to his so they can start kissing again. 

The one good thing about being young is his lack of a refractory period. 

 

* * *

 

They lie down to sleep that night after Luhan's come home from the party. "How was it," Xiumin asks as Luhan yawns and curls into him, the soft tendrils of Luhan's hair tickling his chin. 

"It was alright. Turned out Chanyeol's found this really cute man named Baekhyun. Chanyeol crashed into him on the streets and now they're dating." Luhan sniggered a bit before another yawn surfaced. "Only Chanyeol would crash into a dude, and actually ask him out. Must be fate, huh."

"Baekhyun?" Xiumin echos and Luhan nods against his chest. "Fate..."

"Yeah. Baekhyun looked disappointed when I told them you weren't coming. Do you two know each other?"

Xiumin sighs. "Baekhyun is actually  _fate_. Just like I'm  _time_."

Luhan doesn't even question it as he falls asleep, fingers latching on tightly to Xiumin's own pajamas.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Luhan,_

_How are you? If you're feeling sad, think about the first time we kissed. I'd wanted to kiss you since you'd saved me but I didn't know if you felt the same way. Imagine my relief when you kissed me first. I guess you always were the braver one of the two of us._

_Your lips were so soft and they molded right into mine. Am I being too cheesy? I just wanted you to know that you were my first "time" for everything. Get it? No? I think I hang out with your friend Jongdae too much. He has corrupted my sense of humor, but I want to point out that your sense of humor was never much better._

_But also, I guess I just wanted to say, thank you for everything. Not just saving me, because I've thanked you already for that. But thanks for making my "time" worthwhile ;)). Thank you for pushing me towards the things I was too scared to try. Am I saying thank you too much now? Let's just say I'm making up for all of the times that I didn't get to._

_~~Sincerely~~ ,Love,  
Xiumin_

 

* * *

 

Xiumin arrived home one afternoon to find Luhan pacing around the kitchen, an conflicted expression marring his face. "What's wrong?" he asked nervously, hanging his jacket up before hesitantly walking into the kitchen..

Luhan stares at him with a scrutinizing expression. "Do you like Jongdae," Luhan blurts out and his voice sounds almost too calm. 

"Of course I do," Xiumin smiled, remembering Luhan's hyperactive friend whom he had met a few times. The boy always seemed to have a smile on his face, and he was constantly humming some pop tune that would inevitably get stuck in Xiumin's head. "He's a nice kid."

Luhan's face fell and before Xiumin could fully understand what was going on, Luhan was standing directly in front of him, each exhaled breath tickling Xiumin's cheek. "Do you like him more than me?" Luhan asked quietly, his expression unreadable. Xiumin started laughing, finally understanding. 

"You're jealous," he teased and the telltale flush that had begun to creep across Luhan's cheek tells him everything and he began to chortle in earnest. 

Luhan flushed even more before advancing against Xiumin so that their chests were pressed together. "So what if I am," he grumbled before he pressed his lips against Xiumin's. It felt for a second that time had stopped just for them.

Xiumin was slightly dizzy when Luhan finally pulled away, his hands clutching Luhan's hips to him as he gasped for breath. He could see the fear and worry suddenly flooding Luhan's eyes and so he closed his eyes and kissed Luhan again.

Their second kiss was chaste and soft, unlike the first which was bruising and clashing. 

Xiumin pulled away again to smirk at Luhan. "I should make you jealous more often."

 

* * *

 

Xiumin couldn't help but whimper as Luhan kissed him, tongue exploring his mouth as his fingers explored every single inch of Xiumin's skin. His hips instinctively bucked up as Luhan's finger pinched down on Xiumin's nipple and moan was torn out of his throat. 

"More," he keened as Luhan's hand went down to cup at his erection and his hips bucked up again. 

"Why hurry," Luhan smirked as his head went down, sucking marks all over Xiumin's pale skin. A hand went back to where his wings were trembling in anticipation and stroked down his back gently. "We have all the  _time_  in the world."

Two fingers were lubed up and pushed into Xiumin and another low whine left his lips. He arched his back up as Luhan pressed another finger inside his rim and his fingers curled around Luhan's arms, leaving red marks. 

As Luhan's fingers began thrusting in and out of him, Xiumin reached up to grab Luhan's face, bringing the blonde man down so they could kiss sloppily. 

When Luhan finally positioned his cock at Xiumin's entrance, Xiumin moaned out quietly, "I love you." 

Luhan's eyes widened and then he pushed in, groaning at the tight clenching heat around his cock. As he panted, he leaned down to whisper breathily into Xiumin's ear.

"I love you too."

 

* * *

 

_Luhan,_

_Does my handwriting look messier? It does to me. I hate being 14 years old. Why won't you touch me. I don't care if you're 40 and I'm 14 because honestly, I'm more mature than you'll ever be. You keep telling me the younger I get, the brattier I become. But no matter how bratty I am or how young I am, my love for you is mature. And no, I didn't quote that out of some book, you old brat. Or some stupid korean drama (I know you like them, you old sap)._

_Do you want to hear something terrifying? Losing control of your body; I guess in that way, growing young is very similar to growing old. Things that I could once do are now foreign to me, and I suppose the feeling will just grow as I slowly regress. I take some comfort in that, at least. The fact that I am growing old with you, in a way. Would you have taken care of me if we had grown old together? Will you be disgusted by me when I become a child, stuck in my own waste and drool, dependent entirely on you?_

_Yeah, okay, whatever._  
Xiumin  
  
_PS. I miss your dick. You should really just consider fucking me -_-_

 

* * *

 

"Why won't you fuck me," Xiumin hisses as Luhan stares at him warily. Luhan's blonde locks have been died brown and he is currently twirling a strand of said hair between his fingers.

"You're 14," Luhan repeats, his argument for the past three weeks and Xiumin curses under his breath. "I could hurt you."

"That didn't stop you before," Xiumin spits out. "Be a man and fuck me already."

Luhan sighs and walks over to where Xiumin's standing, shoulders tensed up and face scrunched up. 

'Don't you love me anymore," the now 14 year old boy asks quietly, his wings unfurling behind him and drooping down.

"Of course I still love you," Luhan replies gently, placing a soft kiss on Xiumin's cheek. "But love can be shown in other ways besides sex. Can't it?"

They spend the rest of the night curled up on the couch watching Xiumin's favorite disney movie, Luhan fingers curling around Xiumin's. 

"Luhan?" Xiumin's voice is quiet and unsure of himself and Luhan hums quietly in response. "Do you think I'm a brat."

"Yes," Luhan chuckles out, curling an arm around Xiumin protectively. "But you're my brat and I love you for it."

 

* * *

 

_luhan hyung :)_

_i love you so much! we went too loche world today and i had so much fun with you. i luved eating coton candy and going on all of the rides even tho you were scared of hites. its okay. ill protect you!_

_i can't write that much at nite anymore becus i cant stay awake. i just wanted to say i love you_

_goodnight hyung,_ _  
xiumin_

 

* * *

 

Luhan carries a squirming Xiumin out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, pressing a small kiss onto the three year old's forehead. Xiumin gurgles out a giggle before reaching his two chubby arms up and wrapping them around Luhan's neck, nuzzling into the forty year old man's neck. Luhan grins at him indulgently.

"I love you," Xiumin gurgles out and his face is unnaturally solemn for a five year old. Luhan grins at him before placing him down in a chair. 

"Eat, you big baby." As Xiumin clutches the spoon with his chubby hand, and starts eating the cereal, Luhan mumbles out a question.

"How long do we have left?"

The three year old looks up from his cereal, accidentally dropping his spoon. "Free, two, one," he mutters before pouting for his spoon again. 

 

* * *

 

They still sleep together but now Xiumin is the one curled up against Luhan. He's a year old and he doesn't do much except for sleep and eat and cuddle, constantly demanding Luhan's attention, not that Luhan would deny him any.

"Lu," he coos out one night when Luhan is still asleep and the older man, still fast asleep, doesn't hear him.

"Lu," he calls out again, more desperately than before, but Luhan's tired and he remains passed out on the bed, fingers curling around Xiumin's small waist. Caring for a small child is exhausting, and caring for one who used to be able to function as a full grown adult--one who wants to deny that his own body is working against him-- is more than exhausting. 

Xiumin can feel the small tingling, the same tingling he feels whenever he grows younger and he can feel time working against him; can feel his own essence manipulating itself against itself, to break himself down. As everyone else grows older and older around him, their time goes to him. 

It's a dizzying kind of tingle, like he's out of breath and his lungs have stopped working altogether. His feet are curled up to stop the shaking and all he can do is clench his fingers around the hem of Luhan's white tshirt, muffling the need to whimper. 

"I love you," he manages to coo out, voice pitched and shaky and he knows its time to leave. "I love you," he repeats again and again and again, and all of a sudden, he's thirty years old again, wings furled out, limbs powerful and beautiful, at the prime of his time. He presses a single kiss against Luhan's cheek and his time is up. 

Then  _time_  is gone and somewhere in the world, an eighty year old man appears, wings unfurling behind him, illuminated by the dark of the night.

Luhan shifts in his sleep, fingers instinctively moving out to search for his baby Xiumin, finding a pillow instead. A frown graces his face as he unconsciously brings the pillow closer, still stuck in a dreamless sleep. 

He wakes up in the morning alone and cold and confused. A small shoebox sits at the foot of his bed and as it falls off the covers, hundreds of sheets of papers fall out, a familiar scrawl covering them.

He calls for Xiumin but gets no answer and he desperately searches around the house, sobs wracking his body as he tries to find  _time_. He somehow ends up in the bedroom, the box situated on his legs. His tears have dried up and his voice is hoarse from screaming Xiumin's name. 

" _Dear Luhan,"_ he reads and tears blur his vision once more. "  _If you're reading this I'm probably ~~dead~~  gone. Don't miss me too much."_

 

* * *

_Dear Luhan,_

_I guess being a 20 year old isn't that bad. I don't even know what I'll be like when I'm a teenager, just wait for my bratty teenage days (although for you, I suppose, that time has already come and gone). This is all so new to me, its like growing up in a way, isn't it?_

_Before I met you, I didn't really care about living. My maturity was given to others while their youth was given to me and I couldn't care less. I couldn't wait for the day I turned back to an infant and this wretched job was given to some other unfortunate soul. I hated time so much. I had so much time and yet all I wanted was to get rid of it._

_And then I met you. I realized that all of a sudden, I didn't have enough time. The only thing I wanted was more time. More time to cherish you, more time to love you. Isn't it ironic, how time was running out of time?_

_Thank you for being there. For loving me. For making me realize what a treasure time actually is. Thank you for treasuring me, and helping me learn to treasure myself._

_If I could turn back time, I would happily do it all over again. You mean the world to me Luhan._

_Don't be sad when I'm gone. Don't cry too much or you'll ruin your eyes. Just think of all the happy memories we had together and the time that we did get to spend with each other._

_I've always hated the word "forever" since I knew no one really had forever. It was a foreign concept to me, since time and forever are so tightly related yet so drastically different. But you were my forever. You made me believe that time wasn't such a bad thing when you spend it with the right person. I'll love you till the end of my time. Till the end of time, and on to the next._

_Love,  
Xiumin. _


End file.
